Thinking in Systems

A Primer
Erscheinungsjahr 2009
ISBN: 978-1-84407-725-0
Verlag: Taylor & Francis

Buch, Englisch, 240 Seiten

Thinking in Systems is a concise and crucial book offering insight for problem-solving on scales ranging from the personal to the global. This essential primer brings systems thinking out of the realm of computers and equations and into the tangible world, showing readers how to develop the systems-thinking skills that thought leaders across the globe consider critical for 21st-century life.

While readers will learn the conceptual tools and methods of systems thinking, the heart of the book is grander than methodology. Donella Meadows was known as much for nurturing positive outcomes as she was for delving into the science behind global dilemmas. She reminds readers to pay attention to what is important, not just what is quantifiable, to stay humble and to continue to learn.

In a world growing ever more complicated, crowded, and interdependent, Thinking in Systems helps readers avoid confusion and helplessness, the first step toward finding proactive and effective solutions. A vital read for students, professionals and all those concerned with economics, business, sustainability and the environment

Autoren/Hrsg.

Wright, Diana

Meadows, Donella H.

Fachgebiete

• Geowissenschaften Umweltwissenschaften Umweltwissenschaften

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Introduction * Systems Structures and Behaviour * The Basics * A Brief Visit to the Systems Zoo * Systems and Us * Why Systems Work So Well * Why Systems Surprise Us * System Traps and Opportunities * Creating Change in Systems and Philosophy* Leverage Points - Places to Intervene in a System * Living in a World of Systems *Appendices * Index

Über Autor(innen)

Donella Meadows was a pioneering environmental scientist, author, teacher, and farmer widely considered ahead of her time. She was one of the world's foremost systems analysts and lead author of the influential Limits to Growth. She was Adjunct Professor of Environmental Studies at Dartmouth College, the founder of the Sustainability Institute and cofounder of the International Network of Resource Information Centers.